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MP4 to GIF Converter

Pick the seconds you want from your MP4 and get a sharp GIF. Converted on your device, never uploaded.

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Quality

Selection 0:02.0 – 0:09.5 · 7.5 s · 90 frames

Reading frames 0/0

Your GIF

Settings changed. Make it again to update.
Your GIFGM ▸ PRINT

Download GIF

How to turn an MP4 into a GIF

  1. Drop the MP4 on the frame above or press Choose file. The tool reads its size, codec, length and frame rate first, so you know what you’re working with.
  2. Trim it. Type the start and end in seconds, or drag the handles on the film strip.
  3. Keep the defaults (480 px, 12 fps, High) or change them. The section below tells you what to expect in file size.
  4. Press Make GIF, then Download GIF. The file is named after your MP4.

MP4, H.264 and HEVC: what your browser can decode

An MP4 is a box. What matters is the video codec inside it, and you can see it in the tool right after you drop the file (it’s shown over the preview).

H.264 (also called AVC) is what most MP4s use: screen recorders, video editors, most downloads, and iPhones set to Most Compatible. Every current browser decodes it.

HEVC (H.265) is newer and compresses better, so iPhones record it by default. Support depends on your browser and hardware. According to MDN, Safari decodes it on every Mac since macOS High Sierra, Chrome on every Mac since Big Sur and on Windows when the graphics hardware supports it, and Firefox since version 134 on Windows and 136 on Mac (MDN video codec guide, accessed October 2026).

Decoding runs on your device’s video hardware when the browser offers it. In our tests, reading 60 frames from a 1080p clip took under a second that way, against 5 to 7 seconds without it. When it doesn’t, the tool falls back to the browser’s own video player. That path is slower but reads anything the browser can play.

How big will the GIF be?

Bigger than the MP4, almost always. Video codecs predict motion between frames; GIF can only skip pixels that didn’t change. So the type of footage matters more than the settings.

Two measurements from our tests, both at 12 fps on High:

  • A test clip with a still, detailed background, one moving shape and a caption (the shape of most memes and screen recordings): 5 seconds at 480 × 270 came to 125 KB.
  • A phone video of a concert, with stage lights sweeping and haze in the air: 10 seconds at 480 × 854 came to 12.6 MB.

Per second of GIF, the concert clip is 50 times heavier. Even after allowing for its taller frame, it’s about 16 times heavier, at identical settings. If your clip is handheld or full of motion, expect the second kind and plan for 320 px or Balanced quality. If the camera was on a tripod or it’s a recording of your screen, 480 px or more is cheap.

FAQ

Is MP4 to GIF conversion free?

Yes, with no limit on how many you convert and no watermark. Because the work happens on your device, each conversion costs us nothing, so there’s no reason to ration it.

Why can’t my browser open this MP4?

MP4 is only the container. The video inside can be H.264, HEVC, AV1 or something rarer, and your browser has to support that codec. HEVC is the usual culprit: phones record it, but some browsers only decode it with hardware support. Try Safari or Chrome, or re-export the clip as H.264.

Should I keep it as MP4 instead?

Often, yes. MP4 is far more compact and keeps the sound. Our 28-second concert test video is 3.1 MB as an MP4, sound included; a 10-second GIF cut from it is 12.6 MB. Convert to GIF when the place you’re posting needs a GIF: some forums, email signatures, Discord emoji, README files, slides that autoplay. For the reverse, see GIF to MP4.

How do I make the GIF smaller?

In this order: trim to the part you need, lower the width, set Quality to Balanced, then lower the frame rate. Width beats everything else because the size follows the pixel count. A crop to square also cuts pixels when the subject sits in the middle.